It's 5:23am on Sunday as I type these words. Been a long time since I last blogged. Some of my regular blog readers have been persistently reminding me that I've got a major backlog of pics to publish.

And guess what? Ever since I got my new camera a few months ago, I've been taking more photos than ever before and saving them to my computer almost everyday and the inevitable finally happened: I maxed out the space on my hard drive. Now I'm constantly getting an annoying warning message popping up that says: "Low Disk Space." Grrr!

Anywayz, I had just enough disk space left to edit and save the one photo that you see here. You know who these beautiful ladies are, but in case you don't know, they're Isabel Otero (on the left) and Ginette Perea, two of my closest friends who happen to also be among my favorite local flamenco dancers and the ones who put together the awesome birthday party at Tapeo last night in my honor. Thank you ladies!

My deepest gratitude to all my friends who could attend or tried. Thanks also for the dozens of phone calls, emails, text messages and MySpace comments wishing me a happy birthday. I feel like a celebrity with all this lavish attention but I guess I am one, in a small sort of way. Speaking of which, I received a MySpace message from a dancer friend in California who writes:

"Hey, don't knock yourself down about the DC scene & your work. Do you know that it's highly respected around here as a place to 'be' for flamenco? It might single handedly be driven by your frequent web postings but I just want to let you know that people genuinely are interested and care about what's happening over there. AND the main thing they talk about are the killer guitarists (you being one of them) in that area."

She didn't realize it, but her kind words were a little birthday present.

Of course, I'll be publishing more pics from the birthday party and the show and get back into my regular blogging groove, but this week I'm going to have to shop for an external hard drive with tons of memory before my computer finally explodes. In the meantime, thanks for your patience!

OK, it's like a little after 6am and I should get some sleep before a birthday brunch at 11am and then a birthday dinner tonight at 7pm. Loving the attention. Hehe. Ciao for now.

Posted by Miguelito at 5:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cristian Puig and Behzad Habibzai. July 15, 2007 5:09pm

Here's another batch from Edwin Aparicio's show last week. This one focuses on alegrías.

Program notes by Edwin:
The palo (music style) of Alegrías is so popular in flamenco that there is probably not a single singer, guitarist or dancer who could avoid this style in their career. It is characterized by its lightness, lively rhythm and melodiousness, I fell in love with Alegrías at the beginning of my dance career, and this love affair continues. Having seen thousands of different interpretations of this palo, I continue to discover and enjoy its intricacies and flexibility. With a solo performance of Alegrías as a starting point, I first choreographed it as a group number in my second production, Encuentros, which dealt with my personal relationships. This latest interpretation of Alegrías is set for a much larger group of dancers--a sort of collective happiness!

La Genoveva, Cecilia Terrasa, Rebecca Thomas and Tamara Sol Flys. July 15, 2007 5:09pm

La Genoveva, Tamara and Rebecca. July 15, 2007 5:10pm

Carmel Nathan-Shelly and Rebecca. July 15, 2007 5:11pm

Jason Vera y Aragón. July 15, 2007 5:11pm

Rebecca. July 15, 2007 5:14pm

Rebecca and Cecilia. July 15, 2007 5:15pm

July 15, 2007 5:15pm

Pam de Ocampo and Cecilia. July 15, 2007 5:16pm

Pam de Ocampo. July 15, 2007 5:16pm

Yolit Kachlon and Ricardo Santiago. July 15, 2007 5:17pm

Cecilia, Pam, La Genoveva, Ricardo and Yolit. July 15, 2007 5:18pm

July 15, 2007 5:18pm

Cecilia, Pam and La Genoveva. July 15, 2007 5:18pm

Cecilia. July 15, 2007 5:20pm

Cecilia, Ricardo, La Genoveva, Yolit and Carmel. July 15, 2007 5:20pm

There's more to come. I'll continue to publish more pics from Selected Works little by little. Be patient with me! In the meantime, if you want more information about Edwin Aparicio and his upcoming performances, visit his website.

Posted by Miguelito at 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Martinete (from Camino/al flamenco). July 15, 2007 4:17pm

This past Sunday at the Gala Hispanic Theatre/Tivoli, I had the pleasure of attending a performance by dancer Edwin Aparicio and his hand-picked troupe of dancers, singers and musicians. I had the foresight of officially obtaining permission from Edwin to photograph the show a few days in advance. He was kind enough to reserve for me two seats in the second row which helped enormously in providing a great vantage point for taking pics. Thanks Edwin!

Excerpt from Edwin's program notes:
In Camino/al flamenco I was exploring my childhood memories, the war and the immigration. In many ways, flamenco was what saved me by giving me a channel of expression. Camino means path and it also means "I walk." Both interpretations suited the production as well as my development as an individual because flamenco is my path and it is the reason that I walk or exist.

"Martinete," with its unsettling rhythmic pattern, brought memories of the war in El Salvador. The choreography has undergone an important transition from the time it was first presented two years ago. It's gone from portraying a person as a victim to having him transformed into a winner despite all the hurdles.

I took close to 700 pics of this two-hour show (including a 10-minute intermission). Last night (Thursday), as I carefully scrutinized the pics one-by-one to select the best ones for publication and edited them in Photoshop, the hours seemed to fly by. The last pic I selected for this first batch is number 185, out of 700, which means I still have about 500 more pics to go! Ugh.

For the first two pieces in the program (Martinete and Nana), I was busy fiddling with the settings on my camera to best accomodate the initially dim stage lighting. The unfortunate result was that first pics I took were unusable, although I did manage to get one (see above pic) that could be passed off as being artistically blurred. Hehe. It was just an accident, I swear. .

Still, the photo captures the energy of the moment and the lighting reminded me of fire--perhaps it was meant to evoke the ambience of a blacksmith's forge. The word martinete comes from the word for hammer, martillo, because its characteristic rhythmic pattern supposedly was created by the blacksmiths as they struck the anvil. Don't know if this is really true, but it makes for a good story.

Checkout the rest of the pics...

Taranto (from Camino/al flamenco). Carmel Shelly, Rebecca Thomas, Edwin Aparicio, La Genoveva and Tamara Sol Flys. July 15, 2007 4:31pm

Excerpt from Edwin's program notes:
"Taranto" from Camino/al flamenco is inspired by the women in my life. I grew up surrounded by women--both of my grandmothers, my mother, and the countless aunts. Later, I met La Tati, who became my greatest mentor in flamenco. The style of Taranto lends itself well to the subject of women, as it is often powerful, yet not forceful, and the lyrics frequently deal with family matters and inward suffering.

July 15, 2007 4:32pm

July 15, 2007 4:33pm

July 15, 2007 4:33pm

July 15, 2007 4:35pm

July 15, 2007 4:35pm

This very dramatic photo is just begging to be made into a promo poster! July 15, 2007 4:36pm

Farruca (from Bailes Inéditos). Rebecca. July 15, 2007 4:41pm

Excerpt from Edwin's program notes:
Bailes Íneditos (Unedited Dances) was my first flamenco production, which I co-directed with my great friend and colleague Anna Menéndez. I was really inspired by the original work of the legendary flamenco singers, the Utrera sisters (Fernanda and Bernarda), one of whose projects was entitled Cantes Íneditos (Unedited Songs). Both Anna and I were dancing all over town and had performed in other places in the US and in Spain, and we were ready to create something of our own. We were learning from each other and working hard to bring out our own essence as dancers and friends in Bailes Íneditos. One of the numbers that resonated with the audience was "Farruca," which Anna and I danced together. I remember one of the critics commenting that although we were both dressed in pants, it appeared as if I, the man, was the lead. In tonight's performance, two women offer a different dynamic.

Carmel and Rebecca. July 15, 2007 4:42pm

July 15, 2007 4:42pm

July 15, 2007 4:44pm

Carmel. July 15, 2007 4:45pm

July 15, 2007 4:45pm

Rebecca. July 15, 2007 4:45pm

July 15, 2007 4:46pm

July 15, 2007 4:46pm

Allright, I have 500 pics to go, so I'll just call it a night and publish another batch tomorrow. In the meantime, you can find more information about Edwin Aparicio and his upcoming performances at his website. Ciao for now!

Posted by Miguelito at 11:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rebecca Thomas. July 1, 2007 7:23pm

Some of you may have noticed I've been coming to dance classes from time to time without a guitar. Kinda strange, no? But the truth is that occasionally on the nights when I don't have a gig I've been going out and getting some practical experience to improve my skills as a photographer. Many of you have expressed your appreciation for my photos in the past, thank you, but with my fancy new camera with lots of extra buttons and features there's a steep learning curve. And once I master them, it'll give me more creative control as opposed to using your average point-and-shoot camera which, with today's technology, gives good results but doesn't let you change the settings and do something a little more artistic.

Right now I'm focusing on taking pics of dancers in action with low light or just dealing with whatever light is available--no flash. Nothing wrong with flash, mind you, but there's something special about using the available lighting that captures more of the energy of the moment. Check 'em out...

Yolit and Rebecca. July 1, 2007 7:24pm

These were taken from a rehearsal at one of the studios of the DC Dance Collective. They were preparing (and still are) for an upcoming performance titled Edwin Aparicio: Selected Works which will be taking place at the Gala Hispanic Theatre/Tivoli on July 14th and 15th, 2007. Order your tickets.

July 1, 2007 7:26pm

Cecilia Terrasa. July 1, 2007 7:29pm

Dana and Cecilia. July 1, 2007 7:34pm

Dana, Cecilia and Rebecca. July 1, 2007 7:40pm

Yolit, Dana, Cecilia and Rebecca. July 1, 2007 7:42pm

So by now, you're probably asking yourself, "Um, so where's Edwin?" Hehe. Turns out that on this particular evening he was performing as a guest artist at Arte Flamenco's student recital. But I assure you, he was at this rehearsal in spirit. The dancers were working very hard both physically and mentally.

Jason Vera y Aragón and Cecilia. July 1, 2007 7:43pm

Jason, Cecilia and Rebecca. July 1, 2007 7:44pm

Yolit and Rebecca. July 1, 2007 7:48pm

Cecilia and Dana. July 1, 2007 7:48pm

Cecilia and Jason. July 1, 2007 7:58pm

Yolit, Rebecca, Jason and Cecilia. July 1, 2007 7:59pm

July 1, 2007 8:04pm

Rebecca. July 1, 2007 8:07pm

Rebecca and Jason. July 1, 2007 8:18pm

Rebecca, Dana, Yolit, Jason and Cecilia. July 1, 2007 8:23pm

Rebecca, Yolit and Jason. July 1, 2007 8:26pm

July 1, 2007 8:35pm

Rebecca, Dana, Yolit, Cecilia and Jason. July 1, 2007 8:36pm

Cecilia and Yolit. July 1, 2007 8:36pm

Rebecca. July 1, 2007 8:41pm

I hope you enjoyed this rare peek behind the scenes. I urge you to buy your tickets early--since the performances are this weekend (July 14th and 15th, 2007), I guess it's not really considered early. But buy your tickets today. Don't put it off and show up at the door and take your chances.

If you're one of the rare few who's never heard of Edwin Aparicio before, checkout his website.

Posted by Miguelito at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pam de Ocampo and Ginette Perea at Cabanas in Georgetown. July 6, 2007 8:25pm

Good morning! Got home around 1:00am after going out last night (Sunday) to support a fellow musician friend performing acoustic rock at open mikes at a couple of bars in Arlington. Right now it's 2:58am on Monday as I type these words and since I'm up I might well publish a few pics from this past weekend. Check 'em out...

July 6, 2007 8:27pm

It's been nearly two years that we've been performing here every Friday night. They treat us well here and we enjoy ourselves mostly cuz we love what we do but judging by the pics I wouldn't rule out the fact that in the summertime, the ambience at Cabanas can be quite beautiful with the colored fountains in the distance and the occasional salty breeze that reminds us that we're right on the waterfront. Very cool!

July 6, 2007 8:30pm

July 6, 2007 8:31pm

July 6, 2007 8:32pm

July 6, 2007 8:32pm

July 6, 2007 8:35pm

July 6, 2007 9:26pm

July 6, 2007 9:28pm

July 6, 2007 9:31pm

July 6, 2007 9:32pm

July 6, 2007 9:34pm

July 6, 2007 9:34pm

Hope you liked these pics. Anywayz, got lots of stuff to do this morning, so I kept the commentary minimal. As for tonight (Monday), I'll be performing at Cafe Citron and most likely partying late afterwards at Ozio with Duende Camarón. See you there!

Posted by Miguelito at 2:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ginette Perea, Pam de Ocampo and Miguelito onstage at Frascati in Bethesda. June 30, 2007 11:37pm (photo by Aref)

Yeah, it's been one week since I last blogged. Between the Fourth of July holiday, extensive gigging and hanging out with friends the past few days and nights, I just haven't been able to come home with enough energy to work on photos and do some writing.

Oh man, at the moment, the weather is perfect. As you can imagine, right now this is taking a real effort making myself stay indoors long enough just to crank out these few photos before getting dressed and rushing outside to start my day. They're from a gig I did last Saturday with dancers Ginette Perea and Pam de Ocampo at an Italian restaurant in Bethesda. The gig was setup by my friend Aref who volunteered to be the photographer. Check it out...

June 30, 2007 11:38pm (photo by Aref)

June 30, 2007 11:40pm (photo by Aref)

June 30, 2007 11:18pm (photo by Aref)

Saturday was quite a busy day: started off with accompanying Anna Menendez's flamenco classes at American Dance Institute then my usual Saturday night gig at Tapeo (with dancers Ginette Perea and Sara Candela), then this private gig at Frascati in Bethesda followed by the Sala Rociera party which we didn't get to until 1:30am. Whew!

June 30, 2007 11:43pm (photo by Aref)

June 30, 2007 11:42pm (photo by Aref)

Needless to say, we barely made it in time. In fact when we finished our second show at Tapeo I didn't waste any time in starting to pack up my sound system so that we could head off to Bethesda for our next gig that night. Thankfully I didn't have to setup my sound system there so that saved me some stress and time. But in the rush to go on stage, I neglected to tighten the microphone stand, so during the opening Sevillanas, the boom stand clamp loosened up and the microphone moved down little by little and I had to adjust my seating position lower and lower so that my guitar was still in front of the microphone. It was almost comical and I kinda laughed and hoped that someone in the front row would see my predicament and readjust my microphone, but nope.

June 30, 2007 11:42pm (photo by Aref)

June 30, 2007 11:43pm (photo by Aref)

The sound system wasn't bad, but if I did have enough time, I would've preferred to setup my own system. At least with my own system, I know how to make my guitar sound its best. The sound person at the Bethesda gig was just as rushed as I was and didn't quite get the sound the way I liked it. Oh well. What to do? Just focus on keeping up the emotional energy in the show which was quite easy considering we had a very responsive crowd.

June 30, 2007 11:45pm (photo by Aref)

June 30, 2007 11:49pm (photo by Aref)

June 30, 2007 11:50pm (photo by Aref)

June 30, 2007 11:50pm (photo by Aref)

It's 1:26pm on Friday now. Time for me to get outta da house, get some fresh air, sun and do a couple of errands including buy a new stage light at Guitar Center--some over-inebriated dork on Monday night spilled a drink on one of my lights at my gig at Citron in the middle of the show. Ugh. Seeing the thick white smoke coming from the light, I almost went ballistic. The light costs about $25! I stopped playing, got up from my chair and unplugged the light and made a ripping sound as I yanked the damaged light off the stage and placed it gently behind my chair (I was tempted to throw it) and continued the show. Yeah I know these things happen in bars and I just got back into the show and just let it go, but when I think about it now, I realize the dork didn't even apologize for the damaged light.

Anywayz, tonight I'll be at Cabanas with dancers Ginette Perea and Pam de Ocampo. See you there!

Posted by Miguelito at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)